Oscar Wegner Update

This is my own perspective from teaching tennis 23 years. I believe there are a hundred ways to learn to hit a ball well, but I have not discovered a better way to teach than Oscar's MTM. Let me know if you do. My 15 years in the AF allowed me to teach tennis from Asia to Puerto Rico. I came across Oscar's ideas 15 years ago and I saw them dismissed by "famous" tennis coaches who claimed (in writing "the open stance forehand is a lazy forehand."

I have taught students word for word from books by Groppel and even trancribled Nick B.'s Tennis for Kids video. If someone claims to make the game of tennis grow with their teaching, then the mark of a truly great teacher is his or her results can be duplicated by others. I won't hide how I currently feel: Oscar is the hub and everyone else is the spokes when it comes to solving the problems of teaching tennis. I still read dozens of articles weekly but am careful to never violate the basic premise's of Oscar's philosophy: find the ball, feel the ball, and finish the swing. Add one caveat: Ockham's Razor, meaning in science, if you have two competing theories, the simplest one is usually the correct one.

A lone voice who started as one of three National Coaches in Spain, spent a year in Germany, and then eight years in Brazil, Oscar focused solving problems in tennis teaching, avoiding the politics of tennis hierarchies who consistently dismissed his ideas. I have seen dozens of teachers duplicate the claims on the court made on Oscar's website. I have seen great teachers get great results long before Oscar as well as without using his techniques since Oscar came along. But no one gets the results his methodology gets on the court across a broad range of people. Once I understood Oscar's techniques purely, I don't believe anyone I have ever taught has gone off the court and not wanted to play tennis again, nor do I believe they have ever gone back to the old way of teaching without coming back to Oscar.

Just want to let everyone know why Oscar Wegner has been very busy and has not been on the site. Oscar has bigger fish to fry that this forum. England is about to undergo it's own tennis revolution and you can read the press release below that appeared this week in the newspapers. The LTA is not going to be happy.

Oscar was traveling in Spain and Europe earlier this year, watching Federer/Nadal in the Mallorca hybrid grass/clay court and watching Federer practice as a guest of Tony Roche, then Roger's coach. He sat with Richard Williams in Amelia Island earlier this year during a Venus match. I know he spends his time coaching coaches rather than players. While people find him controversial, I note that people at the highest levels in the know such as Cliff Drysdale praised Oscar's ideas personnaly when I was curious what he thought about Oscar. I nearly choked at the US Open two years ago when Dennis Van De Meer, President and founder of the PTR who had criticized Oscar's ideas for so long (as did most of the tennis hierarchy) praised Oscar's videos as "great stuff" and told Oscar personally even he was using some of his stuff in the PTR certification. I am PTR Pro certified and will confirm that some of the recent PTR certification is taken right out of Oscar's 1989 book which Tennis Magazine panned in the Dec '90 issue. I note Tommy Haas, Kim Cliisters, and Todd Martin have all said nice things about Oscar when approached in person and inquired of about his teachings. Tommy told me on a practice court at Cincinnati that Oscar was a very famous teacher when I noted he hit his backhand exactly as Oscar teaches. And www.tennisone.com, did a tribute last year to Oscar noting his controversial claims about how the game was played and they stated regarding Oscar: "History Proved Him Right."

If you haven't seen this latest press release that precedes Oscar Wegner's visit to England next week, read it carefully. EIGHTY indoor tennis clubs that are owned and associated with David Lloyd (the brother of Chris Evert's first husband) are converting entirely to teaching Modern Tennis Methodology. Over 600 courts and it's 470,000 members are about to be exposed to Modern Tennis Methodology through the MTCA, which is the parent umbrella name for the MTM Coaching Academies in the UK, Ireland and sites across Belgium, Spain and Holland.

In other words, 400 tennis coaches in England decided to bypass the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) because they know Modern Tennis Methodology must replace conventional tennis if the sport is to grow. Even Andy Murray in an interview on Moderntennis.com.uk admits the LTA coaching destroyed his brother's game and Andy thus escaped to Spain and stayed out of the LTA as did Henman and Rusdeski, neither being a product of the LTA. Eighty clubs in England is a very large portion of their indoor program given the size of the country.

Also, little prodigy 5 year old Jan Silva was offered a scholarship in France because he will draw a lot of publicity to the Academy. He since has been on the cover of USA Today in a huge article. I also know his father credited Oscar Wegner as a primary influence and has spoken with Oscar besides the quote he gave for Oscar's site. I was surprised no mention of Oscar in the USA Today article.

I just wanted to state that I believe I have studied every tennis theory the last twenty five years that has been published. I subscribe to tennisone and tennisplayer and note they are all moving toward Oscar's theories. I hate to tell you guys, but Hi-Tech Tennis founder is a big fan of Oscar's and Oscar's new Ultimate Professional Tennis DVD will prove how simple it is to teach exactly how the pros play. Yes there are coaches out there who have misconceptions about Oscar's MTM, especially the footwork part, and how the bending the arm at the biceps for the windshield wiper (not the forearm) must be emphasized in the beginning for both children and adults, as well as the fact that the "flow of the stroke" must not be interrupted until the student figures it out on their own. Oscar's premise that tennis is played by "feel," not by thinking is even proven by Yandell's Myth of the Tennis Tip where Sampras, Agassi, and McEnroe all admit they can't even tell you how they hit; they all play without "thinking." That is the hard part that causes USA coaches to fail despite every effort of the USTA to grow the game or develop the next great player. Those issues are being addressed by Oscar's formation of the Modern Tennis Methodoloy Coaching Academy to certify and clear up misconceptions in teachers who use his MTM.

I find it incredible when people who don't even know how to teach Oscar's Modern Tennis Methodology criticize it without having seen it or now how to teach it in it's pure form. It does not mix with conventional methods. My experience is you have to teach a student to hit the ball walking backwards (with no footwork) before you teach them to hit the ball walking forwards to get instant independence of the arms from the feet. This step is not understood by even proponents of Oscar. I have a 4 and 1/2 year old I started with three weeks ago who regularly rallies over twenty balls back and forth racing from sideline to sideline (not set up with a soft feed so he can groove his stroke) and might be at least as good as Silva once he gets a hundred hours under his belt. In a third week with an eight year old girl who was considered by her father not athletic enough to play tennis after taking a couple lessons from a highly certified pro who emphasized footwork, the girl today rallied FROM THE BASELINE ON BOTH SIDES 144 balls, looking exactly like a pro as Oscar claims, That girl didn't even want to play tennis three weeks ago, only doing it because I told the father he could connect with her through the game.

So this is my contribution to this forum. Oscar will return from England soon, and I suspect he will gladly take a group of people who have never played tennis and instantly demo how they can all rally and play at a fairly good level in a couple hours, just like he did for Bud Collins when challenged, and just like he did for me and several other coaches when we challenged him. I dare any coach out there to take on Oscar, and I know he would take and easily win the challenge, therefore there will be no takers. Best wishes to all and I hope my letter makes you think differently of a man who is truly humble but to my knowledge, has never been proven wrong regarding his tennis theory. Write him personally if you have a question about why you wait for the ball to bounce or get very close to you "before you commit your swing path." If you have truth, truth withstands any attack. I note that the the USPTA has announced a phaseout of conventional tennis teaching. I just got their latest 41 page release. I guess they were "right" up until recently when they announced they are moving toward much of "modern tennis." Revolutions in any arena, even tennis, are not without hurt feelings. I lost sleep for two months thinking about all the thousands of tennis players I kept from enjoying the game to the fullest with silly verbal commands such as "move your feet." I now coach players from beginners to satellite pro players and they all love the simplicity of my visual images. I was teaching the Nadal forehand with Oscar's MTM a year before Nadal came on the scene. I simply tell my students tennis is like the Karate Kid: wax on, wax off, paint the fence (Nadal's FH is from bottom to top of the fence finishing with the butt of the racquet pointing to where the ball just went).

He'll be back from England in a few weeks. Write him. He'll gladly answer any replies personally.

More spam and hubris. Now the Father of tennis is the hub of the tennis wheel... If you OW guys (although I suspect it's just you again Lucy) just don't get that if you would just get off the pompous posturing and present his ideas as is, you'd encounter a lot less opposition and more people would accept what Oscar has to offer. I guess whatever criticism Oscar took back in 70's must have really hurt for you guys to still be ranting on. But I guess nothing less than adulation for the master is acceptable.

I'm responding in defense of being accused of being some gal named Lucy, lol. I don't worship the guy. But I do find his ideas, as Bill Mountford, former Head Pro at the National Tennis Center, stated, "light years ahead of most in our teaching profession." I can only go by what I see on the court. Within nine months of converting to his method exclusively as my teaching foundation, I was hired as Asst Tennis Director of a famous 15 clay court facilty by the Head Pro who upon conversion to teaching MTM was then hired by John Newcombe for his Texas academy location. I was then hired as Head Pro of a nineteen court facility, quickly packed it after it was dying, and then go give a couple lessons in Southern California and receive five job offers as people are amazed I get instant results so quickly.

I see Oscar's techniques as they are. The paradigm of tennis by feel and by instincts is the best way I have found to teach tennis. Verbal instruction and tennis by form and mechanics just drives away far too many people. That is acknowledged by Johnny Yandell in his article Myth of the Tennis Tip. Oscar is no god, but as Dan Mainzer, head pro at Long Beach California just stated to me yesterday, "Oscar is the Bruce Lee of tennis." One of Dan's first students raised on Oscar's videos quickly rose to top 40 USTA rankings. That is why we believe in MTM. Those of us who teach MTM purely know that it's not the only solution, but it's the best foundation. My roommate (who gets amazing results with MTM) hits with Vince Spadea regularly and though Vince is now coached by Pete Fischer (Sampras' boyhood coach-Vince was coached by his father until age 26), even Vince listens to my roommate as he relays how Oscar teaches the volleys. By the way, Vince was started in tennis by Oscar as a 6 year old and then hired by Vince Spadea Sr for a few weeks while Vince was in high school to get his game in shape for the pros. That is the connection there. Oscar does not coach players by choice. Borg came to him after no one else could help him reclaim his game. I notice others claim to have "worked" with Borg but Borg praises Oscar as a great coach, and I would take Borg's word over any coaches given I would also state Borg is the "father of modern tennis" (along with Ivan Lendl-my favorite player who I noticed hit the first inside out FH) at least on the court. I know Oscar gets a lot of offers and inquiries. He tells me he would rather coach coaches and reach all their players rather than coach a player and reach one. And I have never found Oscar Wegner to lie or exaggerate a claim. He did not know that I would wind up so close to Spadea and be able to confirm his story. It was exactly as he told it. I have met many famous coaches at US Open Tennis Teacher's Conferences and seen the debate and facts. He looked at Jennifer Capriati when she was 8 and Mary Pierce when she was 13, writing in her book to her father she would one day be a top ranked player for sure. Oscar also never claimed to be the "father of modern tennis," but was called that on Prime Network as far back as the early 1990s by the host of Tennis TV who saw that Oscar's teachings were the future of tennis. So I defend Oscar against the misrepresentation I see. He has no ulterior motives that I know of other than to make tennis popular. He would gladly converse with you on any questions you have in a healthy discourse or talk with you on the phone.

We who love his MTM just want tennis to be as simple to Play Like the Pros as possible. What is wrong with that? And I don't know or even have to understand why his MTM works in helping liberate players from mechanical strokes. All I know is it works in making instant tennis players. My guarantee of instant results in one hour or you don't pay has never once even been questioned by a student. I recently gave two tennis lessons at $60 per hour and was handed $300 for the two hours because she had taken instruction from 40 people before with no success, then went out and won her first match against a 30 year player and she had only played less than a year. Tell the girl who showed up for a lesson with plastic still on her tennis handle, never having ever hit a tennis ball before and at the end of one hour she hit 124 balls without missing her first hour on the court, that I should not think Oscar's MTM is the hub of all great teaching methods. Tell the little girl who has to ride the special bus who couldn't even push a ball with her hand (you have to start everyone with their hand in MTM) the first fifteen minutes who now plays in USTA tournaments that she would have done that any other way. Her father tried them all before he came to me. Even I didn't think MTM could bring her that far but her father's belief in Oscar was rewarded tenfold.

Oscar only claims that his techniques show exactly how the pros play and if you apply them properly as laid out in his book and DVDs, you will find your own "swing" and play to your best tennis potential as long as you don't violate his basic principles. I find that to be true. Why do you attack me then as spam and hubris? I bring new people into the game in a way the USTA cannot as seen by lack of growth in the game. MTM keeps them playing tennis for a lifetime. Show me where I'm wrong and I'll admit it and apologize publicly.

Also, only 28 pros on the face of the earth have a higher certification than I in the PTR and I will quit teaching before I teach the FH like they teach it currently because it is not natural and far too mechanical. The USPTA FH still is too mechanical with their "load and explode" form but they did get that part right; however, it does not have a built in timing mechanism like Oscar's system does. But at least it's in the right direction and I have used their phrase with some success. However, putting the emphasis on getting their feet in the right position continues to take athletes from the "zone" where tennis is best played (and Oscar's system takes you there repeatedly faster) and into the "mind" which is where an athlete's natural ability is hindered by the limitations of the mind (ever see a magician fool you so easily when your mind is doing what it's supposed to do?).

Tennis is played best by instincts; Oscar's system of "waiting" until the last second allows a person's instincts to take over and has a built in timing mechanism. But I should end as I digress.

I'm glad you took the jibe about Lucy in good humor! You must not be that person, as he/she would have squealed in self righteous indignation. Listen, youre obviously a big Oscar fan, do you get the point that OW is better off without the whole rant regarding his sole proprietorship about the modern method of instructing tennis? Why must it be the all encompassing agenda of OW proponents to convince everyone he is the center of the tennis universe? Maybe if you guys would just mellow out a real dialogue could result.

Hi Cannondale, I do think you make a very valid point about Oscar, but you have to realize that many of us who have spent thousands of dollars on the game as well as sweated out tens of thousands of hours on the court trusting the USPTA and PTR as I did feel cheated. And I have to pay hundreds of dollars every year to recertify in things I don't even believe in so people can't accuse me of being "uncertified." Tennis Magazine not only laughed at his book in 1990 but other than a letter to the editor two months later from Oscar refuting their review, they boycotted him to this present moment and this year they copy a volley teaching technique right out of his old book nearly word for word in the article and never even mention his name. Those who went with him in methodology were castigated by our peers at the grassroots and feel cheated by those who led us astray at the USPTA and PTR levels. I was first certified as a coach in 1980. I have been studying tennis a very long time.

Once I finally understood Oscar's MTM, I realized that much of tennis theory in the USA was filled with "myths." The damage done by those myths is this: the game of tennis has lost tens of millions of players in the USA and the world rankings reflect very few USTA products in it. In fact, many of the USA players were either taught by non USPTA/PTR tennis coaches, in fact many of them were parents (Venus, Serena, Spadea...we know who their primary influences were...., as well as Roddick (coached in modern tennis by Tariq Bienvenides), Agassi (coached by his father with help after he already was a great junior) or unconventional sources. So I don't have any faith in the USPTA/PTR or USTA in claiming they know how to teach tennis well. When a janitor takes two daughters with totally different builds and turns them both into world champions without bringing them up through USTA tournament play and totally teaching them things no American coach taught such as the two handed open stance backhand, then something is amiss with the USTA system. Note: Rick Macci never would have made the deal with Richard to train at his academy if they had not already had great strokes when Richard brought them there, I know for a fact Richard took them to Nicky B's first in September and then got a better deal from Rick Macci who had built grass courts to attract first Capriati and others and compete with Bollitieri's. .... and Richard was not even a tennis coach except he saw the future of tennis was Oscar and where it was headed.

Something is amiss in our country. A country with the population of of St. Louis (Serbia) produces four players in a recent grand slam final and we can't get anyone past the quarters despite the fact we spend a zillion times more per high performance player. All this so called tennis science and biomechanical studies of Groppel and Ray and Becky Brown can't measure the one component that is essential to playing tennis: FEEL. Oscar and later Timothy Gallwey were the pioneers who figured out tennis was best played by something other than the conscious mind.

My own personal story is this: I was number one player in my city my second to last year in high school. I copied Borg's game by taping his swing during matches on a Beta machine during the Grand Slams, watched them until I wore the tapes out, copied him to a T, and even have a newspaper picture of me winning an open tournament as a 17 year old hitting off the backfoot, my racquet parallel with my leg, hitting from low to high with an open stance. I was number one in my high school without ever taking a tennis lesson and could beat most anyone in the city. Then my parents spent three thousand dollars on tennis lessons getting me ready to turn pro (a lot of money in the 1970s) and I went to number FOUR on my high school team my last year. They told me I could not play like Borg, they changed me to model my game after Stan Smith, the first Tennis instructional video had featured Stan Smith, and then tennis elbow and everything else that changed my game forced me to instruction because "those who can't do, teach" as they say. Maybe I felt more than betrayed when I realized I should have trusted my instincts and played like Sampras and all great pros do: what feels best to them.

I would gladly discuss any concerns or my perception of what Modern Tennis really is. I felt cheated when I realized that Groppel and Braeden had steered me clear of Oscar when I wanted to try his methods out in 1993 but Oscar was discounted at a USPTA symposium in Illinois. I think it was Vic who said he was skeptical of Oscar's claims and stated he felt they had no merit and he believed biomechanical studies would prove Oscar wrong. I was a scientist who loved technical explanations and believed Vic totally. I was such a tennis teaching nerd I transcribed Nicky B's videos word for word and highlighted them and laminated on cards underneath my balls so I would repeat every word Nick said during the lesson I saw him give to a child on tape. And yet very few learned to play tennis well.

So yes, I understand how passionate OW proponents feel because we have learned to distrust much of what is put before us by the USTA. I heard Ajay Pant recently admit (he worked with Agassi on serve only and coached Amanda Coetzer) that the USA is ten to twenty years behind the rest of the world in teaching tennis. I know I felt betrayed when I realized Oscar's DVDs were the Holy Grail of Tennis. When I assembled top local coaches to watch Oscar teach total beginners, I watched them drop their jaws in amazement as he challenged our most basic beliefs about tennis. One coach who had worked for Macci (when Stefano brought Jennnifer Capriati there) and the famous Harry Hopman as well as many famous tennis coaches knew that Oscar did not invent modern tennis (Oscar does not make that claim), but as this coach would tell me why he realized Oscar was right (and I paraphrase): Oscar took all the great threads of all the great teachers and tied them together and synthesized them with the most pure and basic elements of all great tennis swings.

I note he even devised "tricks" as I read one person on here decribe Oscar's techniques. Personally I like that Oscar teaches tennis by inspiration, not perspiration. That paradox of what is really modern tennis is the secret that most USA coaches will have trouble believing. We want to think tennis is played by mechanics, by thinking, but the truth is, it is played best by processes not measured by science and as seen by the limitations of the human mind. That is the real secret of playing your best tennis. Coaches who use MTM like I do watch their customer satisfaction go way up. No one goes away without a hunger for more lessons in MTM, even students who have taken lessons from the so called "masters" tell me they learned more with MTM in one lesson than from people I used to think were the gods of tennis.

I do enjoy a lot of the new masters. I find Heath Waters helpful. I like Doug King, Jim McClennan, and Brett Hobden, who copies Oscar a lot, has made some very strong statements that I think needed to be said publicly. I think Yandell's Advanced Tennis Project was one of the top ten great developments in the history of tennis. But these guys are just discovering what I can find in print many years ago from Oscar. Want a great dialogue one what really goes on with Federer's forehand? Oscar once challenged Doug King on a misconception Doug had and proved with physics that what Doug claimed about Federer pushing out with his arm was not possible even if it appeared that way with the naked eye. I'll send that conversation to anyone who asks since it's public info. I welcome any real dialogue. All I want is tennis to become more popular and be a vehicle for something far greater than tennis itself. I would love to join a roundtable of people united on finding the easiest way to play and grow the game of tennis.

Boy, you are quite the prolific writer. I appreciate that you seem to acknowledge my point, but OW factions assertions that the rest of the tennis community is either behind the curve or copying him is a problem. True or not, and I happen to be in the camp that believes much of this is hyperbole on OW's part (as Bungalo says modern tennis has a lot of daddies)this attitude does nobody any good anymore. This is a 20-30 year old grudge OW seems to nurse that just puts a lot of good people off. If true, many of the powers that be at the USTA/USPTA that supposedly thumbed their noses at Oscar back then are probably dead or doddering by now any way-aren't they? There is a lot of good work out there that was developed independently of OW, lots going on right now. Is it asking to much for the OW people to simply promote Oscars concepts without putting others down or smugly proclaiming the master got it years before when the discussion turns to the work of others? If OW method is as good as you suugest, let his work stand out on it's own merit without the bs. Give it a chance! You seem very knowleadgeable about the game, you are probably a tennis coach and care passionately about the sport. I dig that. The state of tennis in this country is in great need of more people like you. Take care.

OW - A Class Act

Originally Posted by Cannondale

I'm glad you took the jibe about Lucy in good humor! You must not be that person, as he/she would have squealed in self righteous indignation.

In all of my previous postings on this site I have refrained from making deragotary or emotionally-charged remarks against other forum participants; I have instead offered information, observations and suggestions that I thought could be helpful. By contrast, in every response to me Cannondale has been defamatory and insulting (either toward OW or toward me personally), offering nothing of substance to the discussion. Having grown weary of parsimoniously replying to his relentless malice I considered dropping out of the forum altogether. However, thanks to the articulate posts of Studentoftennis and the willingness of new member Southerngirl to talk about the Wegner Method I shall stay in the discussion in the hope that participants will focus on tennis philosophy and technique, and disregard inaccurate, inappropriate and inconsiderate remarks. I know that this is how Oscar would prefer the dialogue on his forum to be conducted.

I agree with Lucy and southern girl wholeheartly.I believe one of the keys to Oscars method is tennis participation.When players start rallying so quickly they get hooked on the game and grow to love it.

SouthernGirl-hey nobody is checking ID's at the door! LOL. Well, At this time I have nothing for you yet, thanks though, but...

Student of Tennis: You seem to be very knowleadgeable about the game, so I'll get the ball rolling by asking you a TENNIS related question. Perhaps if you can address the my question in a technical manner and withold having to glorify Oscar or putting down other instructors we can begin a positive dialogue.

I am a 4.5ish singles player. Strengths are my serve and strong baseline game off each wing. Thing is, I have learned to and always have volleyed by switching from full backhand to full eastern forehand volley grips instead of the more common continental grip. I have recently joined a new club where there is a terrific doubles scene with a great bunch of guys and gals to play with. My previous method is so well ingrained (been playing since I was 7) that it is very difficult to make the transition as our club pro recommends. Primarily playing singles, this has never hampered me as I only came to the net behind very strong approaches, usually only needing one volley to put away the ball. Doubles as we all know is another story, and the pro feels that quick exchanges at the net put my technique at a disdvantage. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts. Thanks.

Wegner Method

I just wanted you to know Cannondale that I was someone new. That's all. It's a southern thing.

As for your situation with your volleys.... your club pro and your own analysis is acccurate (relating to doubles). I recommend that if you are happy with your volleys the way there, then don't change. You're aware of there limitations. However, if you want to play better doubles, then you will want to make the change to a continental grip. (To be honest with you it's not all that hard.) One of the important considerations in making adjustments in a students stroke is that you get the students cooperations before making a change. Long term, if you want to up your NTRP level then make the change. If you are happy...then stay the way you are. In the end, your tennis game belongs to you it, do what you want with it.

I just wanted you to know Cannondale that I was someone new. That's all. It's a southern thing.

As for your situation with your volleys.... your club pro and your own analysis is acccurate (relating to doubles). I recommend that if you are happy with your volleys the way there, then don't change. You're aware of there limitations. However, if you want to play better doubles, then you will want to make the change to a continental grip. (To be honest with you it's not all that hard.) One of the important considerations in making adjustments in a students stroke is that you get the students cooperations before making a change. Long term, if you want to up your NTRP level then make the change. If you are happy...then stay the way you are. In the end, your tennis game belongs to you it, do what you want with it.

Southern Girl-Just kidding you about having to establish identity up front. It just seemed curious to me that on this forum so many posters seem to pop up and register just to make one pro Oscar post and go away. (???) Obviously not what is going on in your case. Thank you for your response.

SouthernGirl-hey nobody is checking ID's at the door! LOL. Well, At this time I have nothing for you yet, thanks though, but...

Student of Tennis: You seem to be very knowleadgeable about the game, so I'll get the ball rolling by asking you a TENNIS related question. Perhaps if you can address the my question in a technical manner and withold having to glorify Oscar or putting down other instructors we can begin a positive dialogue.

I am a 4.5ish singles player. Strengths are my serve and strong baseline game off each wing. Thing is, I have learned to and always have volleyed by switching from full backhand to full eastern forehand volley grips instead of the more common continental grip. I have recently joined a new club where there is a terrific doubles scene with a great bunch of guys and gals to play with. My previous method is so well ingrained (been playing since I was 7) that it is very difficult to make the transition as our club pro recommends. Primarily playing singles, this has never hampered me as I only came to the net behind very strong approaches, usually only needing one volley to put away the ball. Doubles as we all know is another story, and the pro feels that quick exchanges at the net put my technique at a disdvantage. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts. Thanks.

I have an excellent suggestion for you cannondale. Southern is right, if you want to improve you have to recognize the need to change your grip. To help you with this check out the Power V Grip it costs about ten bucks at tennisgeometrics.com It is an excellent training tool that can help you identify and retain the proper grips. The owner and inventor of this can be contacted through the site and is a genuinely nice guy who provided us with a lot of detailed answers about the product and some great tennis tips. Check it out. Oh and please don't think I'm spamming, just offering a suggestion.

You mentioned tennis mastery in another thread, I have the book also and as you know Dave is big on the concept that learning improper grips and technique when you start out is the biggest stumbling block to advancing past the 3.0 level. He is so right. My youngest daughter had the toughest time overcoming a bad habit she had learned at a summer tennis program which was serving using a forehand grip. This program by the way was ran by a couple of guys claiming to know and teach the Oscar Wegner method. We tried for months to get her to serve properly but the transition was frustrating to the kid. It was only when we found the PVG that she was able to break her habit and serve with the continental grip, adding spin pace and consistency. By the way, to give due credit a very nice poster on this board "teachestennis" who is a pro Wegner guy also gave us some very good tips on helping her serve and helped her break the bad habit. She went on to win two sattelite USTA tournaments the next summer.

I think that's what these message boards should be about, all of us should be communicating and sharing our knowledge to help each other's games.

Wegner Method

TennisParent your right on about Dave Smith. When I start out teaching an adult or kid I always teach the proper grip on volleys, serves & overheads. As a coach don't limit your students potential by teach something that is wrong that you will have to change later.